Telephone system



Nov. 10, 1931. R. sToKELY TELEPHONE SYSTEM Filed June 22. 1929 /N VEA/TDR E. L. .STDKELY 15V AmR/VEY A hw---) Patented Nov. 10, 1931 UNITED s'rariis RAY L. STOKELY, OF FLORALPARK, NEW YORK, 'ASSIGNOR TOB'ELL TELEPHONE- LAB- ORATORIES', INCORPORATED, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.. A CORPORATION OF YORK TELEPHONE SYSTEM This invention relates to telephone systems and particularly to metering systems.

The object of the invention is to improve the control ofl service meters operated repeatedly during a call to record charges in accordance with the duration of the call.

Heretofore, systems have been used in which the meter is operated repeatedly during a call by connecting itin a circuit producing the operating impulses. Systems have also been used in which the meter isoperat-ed but once during a call. In the latter systems the meter is usually connected 'in a circuit in parallel with a calling subscribers cut-oita relay to battery, and is ot such marginal characteristics that it will not operate when a ground connection lis made to said circuit to operate the cut-ott1 relay,y but operates whenl booster battery is substituted for the ground connection. In systems of this kind the meter and the cut-od relay are usually controlled over the sleeve conductor.

A feature of this inventioniis to arrange the meter and the cut-o relay in a circuit con'- trollable over a. single conductor for the operation of the meter a plurality of times'while the cut-ofi' relay is maintained operated. The arrangement is such that when a connection to ground is made to this circuit, the cutoff relay is operated and the meter is shortcircuited while each time booster battery is substituted for the ground, the meter is actuated and the cut-,0H relay is maintained operated. This circuit arrangement may beremployed in a telephone system whereby when a calling subscribers line is seized the circuit is connected to ground and when a called subscriber answers the call boosterfvbatteryimpulses are substituted for the ground connetion at fixed interval throughout the duration oithecall.VIV Y, f This invention has been Vshown in theVV accompanying drawing applied to an automatic connection between acalling subscriber and a called subscriber throughswitches indicated in diagrammatic form.` Referring to this drawing the service meter 3 has been shown associated with the circuits of a calling subscribers line whose set is,

indicated at l. A connection may be estab- Y and establish the usualv ground connection on m lished througliline finder LF, selector S and l n connector C.v These switches may be of the usual type employed in automatic telephone systems in which aground connection is established over the sleeve Vconductors when the connection 'isf extended therethrough.l The control circuits for. theservice meter 3 are associated with the line finder LF and contain certain interrupting devices usedin the control. Ot these devices tlie'interrupt- `ing device 5 maybe arranged to close through spring ycontacts connection kto ground once every'sixy seconds. For example, the ground connections may be .closed for one-quarter second and opened for iive and three-quarter i seconds. The interrupting device 6 may be arranged to close connections to ground, for Y example, tor one-quarter second and leave these connections open for two seconds; The twointerrupting devices 5 and 6 may be .driven by any well known, time regulated,

constantly ldriven power means. The'interrupting. device 7 may be arranged to oper-l ate spring contactsunder control of the stepping magnet 8 so that the connectionsvare shifted once every sixtieth operation of the stepping magnet v f The establishing of a connection between the calling. subscriber at -1 and the called subscriber at 2 will now be described in connection with the control ofthe service meter 3 for recording thetime lthe connection is established. V'When the subscriber at l liftsV his receiver-'oil the switchhook preliminary y to the` dialing of the number-desired, aconiiection is established tor'the operationl of the line relay l0 over acircuit asfollows: From battery and ground at the left-hand armatures and back contacts ot vthe cut-off relay* 1l vthrough the two windings of the line relay 10 and the tip 'and ring Vconductors inl operating closes a connection from the sleeve terminall ofthe line finder `to battery through the right hand `winding' of the cutoli relay'll. This relay lO'alsocauses in the usual manner a line finder, such ,as LF, to connect with'thecalling subscribers line the sleeve conductorrj This ground connection now causes the operation oi' relay 11 from battery, right-hand Winding of this relay, armature and front contact of relay 10 to the ground connections through the sleeve terminal and brush of the line finderLE. Relay 11 in operating closes a circuitto Aground through its inner lefthand armature and front contact, through its left-handwnding, the Winding ofthe service meter to the battery through the right hand Winding of nrelay 11 and also a circuit from battery through the right-handwinding of relay 11 and its right-hand armature and -l'ront contactto the ground onthe sleeve at the line iinder. The circuit for relay 10 is also opened at the left-hand armatures and back contacts of relay 11 so that the original circuit forrelay 11 is opened at the armature and front contact of relay 10. Relay 11 is now, therefore, held operated by its own locking circuit through the right-.hand winding, Whereas the service ymete-r is short-circuited- No further actions take place at this time but it shouldbe observed that the Wind-z ings of relay 11 are so Wound as to produce opposing magnetizing effects and this` relay will therefore releaseY when the ground from the sleeve is removed ,due to the circuit completed through both Windingsthereot. The ground from the sleevevvill be removed when the connection between the. subscribers is released. When this ground is removed it Will be noted that the Winding of the service meter will carry a current butas this Winding lis marginal, the service meter. will fnotoper.-

ate, at that time. The. subscriber at 1 will now dial .theniunber'ofthe desired subscriberand theconnection .is thereby extended through theselector S'V and `connector C tothe called ,subscribers line at 2 in the usual manner. While this connection is being extended thegroundconnection on the sleeve conductonis also eX- tended throughthe switches in the usual manner.v lll/Then the called subscriber an-. swers the usual automatic ringing, by lifting the receiver olf the. switchhook, the talking connection is established through the tip and ringv conductorsbetween the two subscribers. This talking connection now causes the operation of relay 12 Which has a Winding in each conductor. Operation oflrelay 19. initiates the function of the control ,circuitto operate the service meter 3, by closingva` circuit for the operation of `relay 13 as folvlows Battery rightfhand Winding` of'relay 13, armature and front Contact ofrelay. 12, inner left-hand armature. and back contact of relay 13, right-hand armature and lhack contact of relay 14, upper closed contactsof Y thesprings controlled by interrupter 'l'.and

to ground through the lower springs conf troll/ed ,by interrupter 6, when, this latter in? terrupterf closes this connection. This clos: uremay occur any timeiwithinttvo seconds after the operation of relay'12. This circuit for relay 13 only causes it to partially operate to close a connect-ion for its. lefthand Winding through its right-hand armature 15 and front contact to the ground on the sleeve conductor. Asflong as the-.original circuit for the relay 13 remains, the leftha-nd Winding willv be short-circuited, but Whennthecirpcuit is opened at the end of a one-quarter second period,'the short-circuit is removed. Thecircuitfor relay 13 will *now extendifrom battery through its right-hand Winding, armature and front contact of re-v lay 12, left-hand Winding of relay 13 and its right-hand armature and front Contact to ground -on the sleeve, Both windings are energized z and :the remaining armatures 17 and 18ct-the relay are thereby attracted,

The vcontacts,ofrinterrupted 6 will now remain openfor two seconds..l At the end of this .periodthe connections, to ground are again established and; a circuitcompleted for'y .the.;.operation of relay 16. from Fbattery, winding of this relay, innerYleft-.hand arma# ture and front contactof relay, 13, righthand arma-ture, and back cont-ac tfo/relayl 14, upper normal contactscontrolled by inter? rupter 7 `and contacts controlledby inter.- rupter to ground.v Relay( 16f1inA operating opens the connection to, groundA for ,the sleeve conductor, for the line inder and ,the calling subsc'ribers.,I line, at its rightfhand makebefore-.brealrcontactsand establishes a connection to aise-called' booster battery 19 through the right-hand armature and front contact over thel sleeve. through the line finder. The service meter Swisthereby: operatedas follows: It should be remembered that on .the operation of cutfofyrelay 11 the short-.circuitzfforr the service meter 3 prevented:it from normally o peratingat the time .the cutfoit-relay operated. When now battery 19 vi'ssupplied over the sleeve conductor .in place ofthe ground` connection, the serviceineter will operate over a circuiti-from this-battery -19 through the inner rightfhand armature.andfrontContact ofsrelay 16,V the sleeve. conductor through` the lineY finder, right-hand armature andlfrontcontactof relay 11, yvindingof relay, left-hand Winding of relay ll'to ground at the inner left? 'hand armature and Yfront contactof this re- 'lerV Serri@ meter. in, ereratusrssieters theiiirst periodv of conversation.v YVhilje bat-L tery 19 is supplied from relay 16 the cut-oli1 vrelay 11$Will be maintained Voperated asfollows: It shouldfbe noted,that the current `througlrthe right-hand Winding .of 'relay4 1l fronrthebattery thereatviill beaugmented by current l:trom the battery .1Q-applied@ re- .layl 16 and Ithe currentin ,this winding Will therefore produce a greaterimagnetizingetfectonythelrelay th an the opposing magnetiz `ing, :effect-,produced bythe left-hand Windinterrupter 7 which controls its spring con-y tacts, to open the normal 'connection to` ground throughthe lower contacts,to open the connection through the-upper contacts and to close a Connection to middle contact. When relay 16 is released, due tothe opening of the connection to ground at the inground for y its terrupter', after the one-quarter second period service meter 3 is deenergized and the i ground on the sleeve restored to maintain the cut-oli relay 11 operated. Thus cutoff relay 11 will be lmaintained operated as long as the connection to ground from the lVhen this connection is release as hereinbefore described. A circuit Will novi7 be completed due to the operation of the contacts controlled by interrupter 7 for the operation of relay 14 from battery, winding of this relay, outer left-hand armature and front contact. of relay 13 to ground at the middle Contact of interrupter 7. Relay 14 in operating causes, due to the release of relay 16, a circuit tobe completed for the stepping magnet 8 from battery, Winding of the magnet, outer left-hand arma tureand back contact of relay16, inner lefthand armature andfront contact of relay 14 to ground througlrthe springs controlled by interrupter 5. As stated this interrupter causes a connection to be established to 'ground once every siX seconds. VThe step- Y ping magnetl 8 will noW, therefore, be operated once every six seconds for one-.quarter second each time to Vcontrol the interrupter,

until sixty steps have been taken by the stepping magnet 8 when the interrupter 7 has been rotated to again restore the contacts to the normal condition. When VKthis takes place the relay 14 Will be'released due to the opening' of the circuitsfor this relay at the contacts controlled byV interrupter 6, unless the contacts Vof interrupter7 are restored at the time the contacts controlled by interrupter 6 are closed in which case relay' 14 will be maintained operated until these latter contacts are again opened, `lwhich `will always be Within the one-quarter second period. The circuit for maintaining relay 14 operated'willin this case be extended from battery, Winding and right-hand armal ture and fronty contact of relay 14, upper contacts' controlled by interrupter 7 to ground Vat the contactsvc'ontrolled by interrupter 6. The maintenance of vrelay V14 open tional period. Y j While this invention has been shown for, the 'purpose of illustration inconnectionrwith ated under these circumstances isto prevent by interrupter 6 are open, relay 14 Will be released immediately. In either case the subsequent operation of relay 16 Will occur Within thel period oftvvo seconds and be maintained operated for a period of one-quarter second.`

It should be observed therefore that the time elapsed at this Imoment Will be siX minutes since the operation of the service meter plus a few secondsvvhich` may varyl depending on the time the called subscriber lifts his receiver off the hook as compared With the positions of the interrupters 5v and 6 at that time. If the conversation is to be maintained beyond this `first conversational period, the operations just described Will be repeated. vIn other Words, When' relay 14 is' released and a connection to ground is again established at the'interrupter 6, relay 16 Will be operated as heretofore described for one-quarter of a second to again cause magnet 8, outer left-hand armature and back contact of relay 13 Vand the ymiddle closed .contactsofinterrupter 7 to'ground. When interrupter 7 is returned to normal, this connection to ground Will be opened andl n i the stepping magnet will not be operated further, neither can relay 16 'be operated to register another conversational period'even.

though a connection may be partially established to the contacts of interrupters6 and 7 as relay 16 is released. In casca subscriber maintains the connection until `the 'second period vof conversation is ended and then re- '.position. In either case of release [as described above a newconversational period cannot be registered-regardless ofwhether or not the subscribers maintain theV connection during the entire registeredV conversa# a4 telephone,` system of the automatic type,

itisrrnot sojlimited, but may be applied to telephone systems of the manual and,VV semi-y automatic typesandin acttoaother types ofcommunication systems in Whichliti's de-. sirable tocause the' operation of'n-1e ters,;registe-rs or similar devices. f

that is claimed is:

Yl. In combination, an operating magnet, a-relay, circuit meansfor said magnet` and relay including' a battery, means for establish-ing a connection fromv ground to 'said circuit, a second battery, and means for sub? stituting a connection from said second battery to said circuit, said circuit meansbeing operative on the ,establishing` ota connection from groundrto cause the operation of the relay andfto establish a short-circuit vfor `the magnet and on the establishing of the sub-V stitute connection from-said second battery toV cause the relay to remain operated andthe magnet to operate.

2.'In combination, a marginal operating magnet, adilerentiall-y Wound relay, circuit means `for said magnet andrelay including a battery, means Vfor establishing a connection from ground to said circuit, a second battery and means orsubstituting a connection from said second batteryfto saidcircuit, saidoircuit means being operative onf the. establishing of aconnection from ground ,to-close, an oper ative connection through one winding of-said relay and ashortcifrcuit toi-*the other `Winding and the -winding of the magnet-Lto cause the operatienof the relay, and on the establishing of the substitute connection 'from said second battery to close. an operative connection through both `Windings ot the relay in parallel and through the Winding ofithemagnet foi-maintaining.said relay operatedfand to cause the. operation of thema-guet. y

8'. In combination, `a vdiii'erentially wound relay havingftwo `windings, a circuit means for said relay including a battery, a second battery,- means for establ-ishing4 a connection from ground to said circuit, and meansy for substituting a connectionfiom said second battery to said circuit, said circuit means beingoperativeon the .establishing ola; connection from ground torclose anoperative connection through one -Windingfandashortcircuited connection through the other Winding to cause-the operation of said relay and on the establishing of the substitute connec tion from said second batteryrto close an operative connection through bothvwindings in parallel ,tomaintainsaid relay operated and on the opening `of said Y connection to the second battery to establish a connectionincluding saidirst-batterythrough both Windings to cause therelease .of said relay.

et.. In combination, Aa vdiilerentially -ivound relay havingtwo nf'indings, circuitgmeans for said; relay including a battery, a` second b'attery, means for establishing aconnection from groundzto saidcircuit, and means for ative connection through bothxvindings in Y parallel to maintain said relay operated and on the opening of said connection to the second battery to establish a. connection in cluding said first battery through both of saidjvindings in series opposing relation to cause the release of said relay.

5.1111 combination, ,a marginal operating magnet and a diiierentially Wound relay, a circuit means for said magnet and relay in-v cluding a battery, a second battery, means for establishing a connection from ground to said circuit, and means for substituting a connection from. said second `battery to said circuit, said circuit means being operative on the establishing of a connection from ground to close an operative connection for said relay and a non-operative connection for said magnet to cause the operation of saidrelay and on the establishing lof the substitute conn ction from said y second battery to: close operative connections through the magnet and relay to maintain the relay operated and to operate the magnet-,and on the subsequent opening` o1" said connections from the second battery toA release said magnet and relay.

r 6. In combination, an operating magnet, a relay, circuitzmeans including a battery for said magnetand relay, a second battery,r a ground connection, and means for alternately establishing connections With said circuit from said ground and saidsecond battery connections, said circuit means being resp0nsive to operate the relay. Whenthe ground connectionis first made and to thereafter maintain said relay operated and operate the magnet When connectionsare made to the secondbattery and to. release and short-circuit the. magnet wheny ground connections are made. y

7. In a telephone system, Ya calling subscribers line, a called subscribers line, means tor connecting said lines, a service meter, meansresponsive to the .establishmentof a connection between said lines for short-circuiting ysaid meter, and means responsive when a connection has been established to the called' subscribergtor alternately operating and short-circuiting said meter at lined intei-vals. y Y, i e f1 8. natelephone system, acalling subscri.bei"s.line, a called subscribers line, means for connecting` said lines., a meter associated with thecallingsubscrbers line, means responsive to :the seizure-fotthecalling sub scribers line for;-sholtfcircuiting the meter between the succeeding operations of the' meter being of equal duration and the first operation taking place when the called subscriber answers the call.

9. In combination, an operating magnet,

a. relay, circuit means for said magnet and relay including a battery, means for establish ing a connection from ground to said cir cuit, another battery, means for substituting for said ground connection a connection from said second battery to said circuit, said circuit means being responsive when the ground connection is made thereto to actuate said relay, means responsive to the actuation of the relay for short circuiting the magnet and said circuit means being responsive when the connection from the second battery is substituted for the ground connection to actuate the magnet.

10. In combination, a relay having two windings connected in series, circuit means for said relay including a battery, means for establishing a connection 'from ground to said circuit, a second battery, and means for substituting a connection from said second battery to said circuit, said circuit means being operative on the establishing of a connection from ground to close a connection through one winding of the relay to said ground to cause the actuation of said relay and to thereafter cause the short-circuiting of the other winding of said relay, and on the establishing of the substitute connection from said second battery to energize both windings to maintain said relay actuated, and on .the removal of said connection to the second battery to establish a connection from said firsty battery to ground through bothwindings of said relay in series opposing relation to release said relay.

1l. In combination, a relay having two windings connected in series, a magnet having a winding connected in series with said two windings of the relay, circuit means for said magnet and relay including a battery, means for establishing a connection to ground to said circuit, a second battery, and means for substituting a connection from lsaid second battery to said circuit, said circuit means being operative on the establishing of a connection from ground to establish a connection from the first battery through one winding of the relay to cause the actuation of said relay, to thereafter short-circuit the other winding of said relay, and on the establishing of the substitution connection from said second battery to energize both windings of the relay and the winding of the magnet to maintain said relay actuated and to actuate the magnet, and on the removal of said second battery from said relay and magnet to establish a connection from said first battery to ground through both windings of said relay in series opposing relation and through the winding of the magnet to release said relay and magnet.

l2. In combination, an operating magnet, a relay, circuit means for said magnet and relay, a battery of one polarity permanently associated with said circuit means, a ground connection, a second battery of the opposite polarity, means for establishinga connection to said ground from saidy circuit Lmeans, means for substituting for. said ground connection a connection to said second battery from said circuit means, said circuit means being responsive in actuating the relay on the establishing of the ground connection and for maintaining said relay actuated and actuating the magnet on the substitution of the connection to the second battery.

13. In combination, an operating magnet,

a relay, circuit means for said magnet and relay, a battery of' one polarity associated with said circuit means, a ground connection, a second battery of the opposite polarity, means for establishing a connection to said ground for said circuit means, to substitute a connection to said second battery` for said circuit means and to remove said second bat- 

